[Originally Posted 3/16/12]

Disc golf’s perennial manufacturer Innova Discs announced today that it is doing away with ‘Team Innova’ badge. From now on the Rock Hill, South Carolina based company’s group of sponsored golfers will be known as the Innova Air Force. An unusual choice, unless the United States Armed Forces has chosen to become a title sponsor of our great game – quite unlikely, but we can dream, right?

This move is the latest, along with a new plastic taking the market by storm, in the overhaul of Innova Discs. Overhaul you may ask? Every business must evolve to remain relevant and competitive in their industry. A new logo, new blends of plastic, new plastics altogether, new national tournaments, and major changes to existing NT events are only part of Innova’s game plan.

What’s next? Only a select few are in the know when it comes to their plan of attack. All in all, the new name does bring about thoughts of patriotism and our great nation, most likely a good thing for disc as well as the Innova Air Force.

A torrent of manufacturers, apparel designers, accessory companies, and ancillary products has recently exploded onto the national disc golf scene. Thanks to the Internet the challenges of starting a business or releasing a new product have become relatively easy, inexpensive, and fast. The Innova Air Force change in nomenclature is no exception.

The time-tested theory of ‘don’t fix something that isn’t broke’ comes to mind. Why change the logical name of Team Innova given to the few good enough to earn it? This question lingers like the smell of microwaved fish in the cafeteria at work, and it can only be answered with one word: money.

Do not mistake the Innova Air Force change as an egregious attempt to stay at the top of a growing number of disc golf businesses. It is part of their business plan. Plain and simple, Innova is about making money first. If it were not, this game would not be on the precipice of exponential growth today.

Disc would be where it was 20 years ago, a ‘fringe’ sport, with no real potential according to most. Instead, Dunipace and Co. have brought the simple task of throwing a Frisbee into a basket to the forefront of fringe, evidenced by the average double-digit annual growth over the last decade.

Steady Ed would smile to see disc golf become more popular than stick golf, a prediction made by HOF member Dan Ginnely. With the help of the Innova Discs and their Air Force, that goal may be a possibility.

Throw It Long!